Chapter 3 - The Family, the secret, and the fire

“She what?” the cigarette fell from Sanji's mouth.

“Saaski didn't really mean to, it just pretty much happened. See, Takyua had managed to knock Tai out with a bottle, and Nell sprinted to the base for help. I was upstairs on their orders. He was almost ready to get her, and I jumped down behind him, he turned around, and she picked up a piece of broken bottle and stabbed him. She managed to puncture a lung, and he, well, died.”

Sanji was astounded. She made it straight though the whole story without stuttering, and she hadn't seemed ashamed.

“But, you said your sister went to the base…”

“And when she came back, Saaski was totally insane for the moment, I was screaming my head off, and Tai, who is happy about killing navy officers, I mean,” she lowered her voice, “she does it for FUN sometimes! But, She was yelling her head off saying how easy that was and how he was really easy to kill. So anyway, the whole freaking Navy is standing at our door, and they look to Saaski, and they say that she's under arrest for killing a Navy officer. Well, she just shuts up and she looks to them, and then she just says `ok.'”

“She gave up?” said Sanji. He was surprised at the whole story, but that part…

“Yep, but she went and then, two days later, we got a letter from her about finding where her life savings are, and we bring all of the 4 million berries there and Bail her out. She doesn't come out of the kitchen through the bar unless it is to serve, and occasionally, she will sing.”

“Sing?”

“Yeah, her voice is really nice when it sings. Sometimes if you listen hard enough, she sometimes sings in the kitchen. But anyway, back inside.”

She walked in as if nothing had happened, and then, she went upstairs and went into a door.

Sanji sat down at the table.

“What was up with that?” asked Zolo.

He told them the whole story, word for word.

“Wow…” Said Luffy. He had on his serious face. “She killed a navy officer?”

“Yep, on what Caldwyn-san told me, she did.”

“What did you just call that little girl Sanji?” asked Robin.

“Yeah what?” asked Luffy. He stretched his ear out. “Say it again!”

Sanji Blushed. “I called her Caldwyn-san.”

Everyone burst out laughing, and Zolo and Luffy managed to fall off their chairs when the door upstairs opened.



They all stopped and watched as Caldwyn scampered down the stairs, barefoot, to a little tune she was humming. She had changed her clothes and hair. She was now wearing a long, white jumper, and she had put her hair into two buns on the top of her head. She was carrying a long case, and when she opened in, she produced a fiddle.

She suddenly called into the kitchen: “Saaski, Joyfully sing or Hush, your choice!”

Saaski popped her head out of the kitchen and stared at Caldwyn for a second.

“Highlands.” And then she pulled her head back in.

“That wasn't a choice, but, if you say so!” Caldwyn started to play, very slowly, and they all listened as Saaski sang through the Oak door.

My hearts in the highlands above the heather blue,

this land casts a golden hue,

My hearts in the highlands beyond the rolling sea,

from this place,

tender grace will descend on thee,

Nell started to sing with her, and they turned to her, as she sang with her sister.

Go ye now, go ye now, to wonder nevermore,

go ye now this Hallowed ground, fare thee well,

Fare thee well fellow traveler fare thee well,

from this place tender grace will descend on thee.

Caldwyn stopped suddenly, and so did Nell and Saaski.

“What's wrong Caldwyn?” asked Saaski. She came out of the kitchen.

Nell went over to her and waved her hand in front of her face.

“Saaski, don't panic…” said Nell.

Everyone suddenly looked over too Saaski. She was turning red, and she suddenly fled to the kitchen.

“Too late.” Sighed Nell and she went over to the counter.

“What's wrong with her?” asked Usopp.

“Who, Caldwyn?”

Usopp nodded.

“Oh nothing, it's just her shutting down. She does that every once in a while, thanks to that stupid Devil fruit.”

“WHAT??” The crew cried in unison.

“Yeah, it's surprising. Mom and Dad ate some, and she inherited them. We don't know how they work, `cause they never told us what they were.”

Nell filled an empty bottle of grog with water and swung it in front of Caldwyn's face. Her eyes followed the bottle.

“You want it?”

She nodded.

She sat it on the counter. “There you go.”

She ran to it and drank, only to discover it was water.

“Hey!!!!”

The day carried on uneventful, and when the crew left, Nell said: “Come back tomorrow, We'll sell you some food.”

“Meat!” Yelled Luffy.

She disappeared and came back with a ham. She gave it to Luffy and walked back inside.

They went to a tavern for the night, instead of going back onto the ship. It was nice and roomy, and they each got one room.



That night, Luffy woke up and heard people yelling. He Looked out the window. He saw fire.

“Hey!! Everything's on fire!!” he yelled. He managed to yell loud enough to wake everyone up.

“What?!?”

“Fire?”

Where?”

“AHHH!!!!”

“What about us?”

“What about the girls?” asked Nami. She had a point. Everyone stared at each other for a minute. No one moved. Then, they flew down the stairs and outside into the night. They watched as people ran around, yelling and calling names, and they sprinted over to the bar, as fast as their legs could carry them. They stopped short as they saw the bar, up in flames. Nell was standing, staring dumbfounded at the burning inferno, and Saaski was crying on her knees, holding a wok.

“It… was.. the.. only… thing… w-w-we had…” she sobbed. Nell fell to her knees and kept staring. Chopper ran over. “She's in shock!!!” he carefully pulled her up. She fell down again, onto her back.

“I wanna die.”

“NO! Your alive!”

“My life is over.”

Zolo came over and stared at her on the ground. “No, it's not. Your alive. You move on. You've got legs.”

“You don't understand.”

A loud whine came and the building collapsed. Saaski stared blankly and let out a heart throbbing screech as it burned on the ground. She stared at the fire, which now was dying due to lack of fuel. She shook with shock and she sobbed.

“Where did Caldwyn go?” Usopp asked suddenly. Nell perked up, and stared at the burned out shell of the bar. “She wasn't in her bed… When I came to get her…” Then a screech came out of the night, an angry screech. Then , they heard Caldwyn, yelling at someone from far away. They sprinted in that direction, Nell in the lead, and stopped. Caldwyn was standing, Burned and bruised, staring at a cloaked figure.

“You burned the village! Damn you!!!!”

A woman's voice, cool and calm, came at her.

“Yes, so I did. Now, I'll burn you too.”

Then out of the blue, Nell took out a large stick, and hit it on the ground, and it became a hammer. She ran straight at the person, and hit them with a force so hard, they toppled 8 feet backward.



Everyone turned to Nell, and she stood there. Then she raised her hammer, and hit the ground with a large shockwave, causing the earth to spring up in a line. When the dust cleared, the figure was still there, only they looked dazed. Nell put her hammer on her shoulder, and she looked to the person, fire in her eyes.



“You want my sister, you have to get through me and my sto-sto fruit first.” She looked to Caldwyn. “Home. NOW.” She walked off, and growled at Zolo as she passed. “See, you don't understand.” Zolo stood there, in shock, and Caldwyn followed, whimpering and cringing. “She's mad at me…”

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